Classification notes Taxonomy and the Five Kingdoms

Taxonomy

Classification

Classification: The process of putting similar things into groups.

Taxonomy: Is the science of classifying organisms.

History of Classification

384-322 B.C.
- Aristotle (Greek Philosopher)
- Created first written classification scheme
1500's - 1700's
- Many different classification systems created
  - Many of them really complicated
  - Names based on common names - This created confusion
  - Names also based on long scientific definitions
1700's - Carols Linnaeus - Swedish Biologist
- established a simple system for classifying and naming organisms

Based on structural similarities of organism
Binomial Nomenclature - 2 name naming system - still in use today.
Created a system of groups called TAXA or TAXON
Each Taxon is a category into which related organisms are placed
- Approximantly 2.5 million kinds of organisms identified

Modern Day Levels of Classification

Kids

Playing

Catch

Freeway

Get

Squashed

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

Modern Taxonomy
The Evidence used to classify into taxon groups
	1) Embryology
	2) Chromosomes / DNA
	3) Biochemistry
	4) Physiology
	5) Evolution
	6) Behavior

Binomial Nomenclature

Is a system of Scientific Naming using TWO NAMES FOR EVERY ORGANISM:
The GENUS and the SPECIES name.

The system follows certain rules:

The scientific name must be in Greek or Latin language.
This helps to accurate communicate information to other biologist around the world who use many different languages. This is done by assigning a unique two-word scientific name to each organism. (BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE)
The first part of the name is called the Genus and the second part of the name is called the species.
The Genus name refers to the relatively small group of organisms to which a particular type of organism belongs.
The SECOND part of the name is the SPECIES.
(SPECIES means IDENTIFIER) The Species name is usually a Latin description of some important characteristic of the organism.

IDENTIFYING ORGANISMS BY THEIR GENUS AND SPECIES NAMES IS CALLED
THE BINOMIAL SYSTEM, OR BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE. ("TWO-NAME NAMING)

Advantages of using a universal taxonomic system:

Inferring Phylogeny

Study of evolutionary relationships

Phylogenic tree (Family Tree)

Biosystematics

Study of the evolution of one species into two reproductive compatibility

gene flow

Five-Kingdom System
Evolved from Aristotle's 2 Kingdoms
to the Present day 5 Kingdoms

Kingdom Monera Bacteria Monera

Characteristics of the Monera Kingdom:

Prokaryotes
Heterotrophic and autotrophic
(Heterotrophic - Organism that can't synthesize (make) it's own food)
(Autotrophic - Organism that CAN make it's own foon - photosynthesis)
Anaerobic and aerobic
aquatic, terrestrial and in the air
mostly asexual
mostly non motile (1 form does move)

Things like: bacteria - both eubacteria (True bacteria) and archebacteria (ancient bacteria)